Jayhawks Overseas: Students Studying Abroad

This year, five students are taking either a year or a semester to study abroad in France/Spain through the program, School Year Abroad (SYA). 

Founded in 1964, SYA gives students an opportunity to integrate various trips and experiences into high school life, all while providing students with a chance to encounter new languages and cultures. 

 SYA students can travel to three different locations: Spain, France, or Italy. All sites offer their own curriculum and extracurriculars. Not only can you play numerous kinds sports, but you can also learn how to cook, play a new instrument, apply to be on a yearbook committee, and even go on outdoor adventures such as kayaking and skiing. 

Aissa Maiga, a junior at the School, is studying abroad in France for her second semester and is staying a little bit into the summer. She says in choosing to study abroad, she wanted “to strengthen [her] language skills, take an interesting class, travel, build social skills, and challenge myself while still keeping up with Head-Royce curriculum.” 

On a personal level, Maiga says, “I’m hoping to get out joy, a new culture, and skills that’ll accompany me for a lifetime.” Maiga is looking forward to being independent and exploring a new country. Since there is a lot of independent travel for SYA students, she will get the opportunity to explore Europe with some new friends. She plans on taking cooking classes, taking up a new sport, and working at a veterinarian clinic.

Junior Trevor Ategeka also plans ongoing to Spain for the second half of the year. Ategeka is looking forward to traveling around Spain since traveling is a big part of the program. When asked why he wanted to study abroad, Ategeka responded, “I wanted to be more independent, step out of my comfort zone, understand life from a new perspective, and improve my Spanish speaking skills.” 

By taking a year overseas, he hopes to understand the world a bit better and become a more well-rounded person. He intends to take cooking classes, do theater, and practice dance.

Rouge Su-North, a sophomore, has been in Rennes, France since the beginning of the year. Being in France has not only helped her drastically improve her French, but Su-North also gets to keep rowing which is one of her many extracurriculars. Su-North then spoke about the experience of life abroad saying, “Some things I’ve enjoyed the most while being here have been the ease of life. Everything is much cheaper here, from food at restaurants to clothes at stores, and the public transportation is much better.” 

To those potentially interested in studying abroad, Su-North said, “Go for it. If you think you’re mature enough to handle your life and your learning, and you know you won’t mess it all up or get drunk on the newfound freedom that you have, it can be a good fit.”